(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective tape joining apparatus that joins a protective tape to a surface of a semiconductor wafer subjected to surface treatment and cuts the protective tape along an outer periphery of the semiconductor wafer.
(2) Description of the Related Art
In order to join a protective tape to a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as a “wafer”) and then cut the protective tape, there has been known a device having the following configuration. For example, such a device is configured with a chuck table and an annular frame member that surrounds the chuck table. Specifically, the wafer is placed on and held by the chuck table and the protective tape is supplied onto the surface of the wafer. Next, a joining roller rolls on a surface of the protective tape to join the protective tape to the surface of the wafer and the frame member. Next, a cutter blade travels on a cutter blade traveling groove formed on a top face of the chuck table while piercing through the protective tape. Thus, the protective tape is cut along an outer periphery of the wafer (refer to JP 2004-047976 A).
A protective tape joining apparatus having the configuration described above has the following problem. That is, in a case where an unnecessary tape after cut out is separated from the protective tape, the unnecessary tape disadvantageously comes into close contact with the frame member because of a flat surface of the frame member, and, consequently, cannot be removed from the frame member with ease. In order to avoid such a disadvantage, there has been proposed a frame member the surface of which has a releasing property for removing an unnecessary tape therefrom with ease.
However, there are various protective tapes which are different in adhesive force from one another. Consequently, there arises such a disadvantage that various frame members with different releasing properties must be prepared previously depending on the types of the protective tapes.
In the conventional chuck table, moreover, the surface of the wafer placed on a wafer placement part is flush with the surface of the frame member. Therefore, the protective tape is joined to the surface of the wafer and a surface of a tape support frame with no height difference. In other words, various frame members with different thicknesses must be prepared previously in order to handle various wafers with different thicknesses and must be selectively used depending on a thickness of a semiconductor wafer to be handled herein. Consequently, there arise the following disadvantages. That is, each time a semiconductor wafer to be handled herein is replaced with a semiconductor wafer which is different in thickness from the semiconductor wafer, a frame member of the protective tape joining apparatus is also replaced with a different frame member depending on the thickness of the replaced semiconductor wafer at much expense in time and effort. Further, various frame members must be prepared and stored.